Autonomous vehicles use various computing systems to aid in transporting passengers from one location to another. Some autonomous vehicles may require some initial input or continuous input from an operator, such as a pilot, driver, or passenger. Other systems, for example autopilot systems, may be used only when the system has been engaged, which permits the operator to switch from a manual mode (where the operator exercises a high degree of control over the movement of the vehicle) to an autonomous mode (where the vehicle essentially drives itself) to modes that lie somewhere in between.
Motorized vehicles have been used for over 100 years to transport people and products from one location to another location. On occasion, an accident will occur, for a variety of reasons, where a vehicle will collide with another vehicle or object, or even a person. The collision may cause damage to the driven vehicle or the vehicle or object collided with, and may also cause injury to the occupants of the vehicle or the person collided with. As noted above, some vehicles have been equipped with autopilot systems, which permits the vehicle operator to switch from a manual mode to an autonomous mode or to modes that lie somewhere in between that may serve to prevent and/or reduce vehicle collisions.
As a result of the vehicle accidents that occasionally occur, in addition to the autopilot systems, certain protective features have been installed into vehicles. For example, automobiles have been structurally designed to meet certain crashworthiness standards to protect the occupants of a vehicle involved in a collision. In addition, bumpers have been installed on the front and rear of an automobile to prevent injury to the automobile in the event of a low speed collision. Vehicle bumpers are generally designed to absorb energy to prevent injury to the vehicle during a collision, but generally do not provide significant protection for a pedestrian struck by the vehicle.
Some efforts have been made to provide for the mitigation of injury to a pedestrian in a collision with a vehicle. Such systems include a deployable hood featured on certain Jaguar models which raise the hood a certain amount instantaneously upon impact, thus providing a more compliant surface for the pedestrian to impact. A similar technology featured on Volvo models in Europe deploys an airbag on the exterior of the vehicle at the base of the windshield meant to lessen the severity of the impact between the pedestrian's head and any portion of the vehicle. However, existing technology found in production vehicles does little to mitigate the secondary impact a pedestrian may experience after during a collision with a vehicle.
In the event of a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian, injury to the pedestrian is often caused not only by the initial impact of the vehicle and the pedestrian, but also by the ensuing, secondary impact between the pedestrian and the road surface or other object. Specifically, when a pedestrian is in a collision with a vehicle, the nature of the collision causes the pedestrian to be carried along with the vehicle for a period of time. As this occurs, the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle accelerates the pedestrian to a certain velocity until the driver of the vehicle reacts to the accident by applying the brakes. At this point, the pedestrian continues travelling at the same velocity but is decoupled or “thrown” from the vehicle where a secondary impact occurs between the pedestrian and the road surface or other object. This secondary impact can often cause severe injuries to the pedestrian as the road surface or other object does not exhibit any sort of compliance or cushioning as the vehicle front end might.